The TechFluff & Co News Project: Announcing @TFNewswire
Update: 23.35pm, 15 August: Well, this is embarassing! We'd originally called the project @tcnewswire, with the "TC" standing for "TechFluff & Co". Mike Butcher, TechCrunch Europe's Editor, was kind enough to point out that there may be some confusion between @tcnewswire and TechCrunch. After some deliberation, we realised he was right. It was silly of us not to have foreseen the potential confusion. For this, we're really sorry. We'd like to thank Mike for being so nice in flagging this up and for his advice. Like the startups we're talking about, we're continually testing and iterating. If you're following @tcnewswire, please switch over to @tfnewswire.
Every week, I'm bombarded with news stories. Most (around 60%) are not from our clients but cash-strapped startups looking for exposure and asking for intros to the media.
Anyone who knows me will know that I love startups. I hate turning them away. The commercial argument for doing so is that I can't give my contacts away for free by making intros. PR is how I make my living. But, again, I love them (startups). I also love news. I'm a journalist through and through. And I can sympathise. I've tried marketing products in cash-strapped companies before. It's tough.
And some of the stories are really good. The problem entrepreneurs have is getting them to the right person. The journalist in me has a "good vs evil" battle with the money-making entrepreneur every time a great headline comes in. Do I let this story go unreported? How can I let it get away? Why can't I just forward it to the editor? I'm afraid the entrepreneur fights a losing battle. Journalism is in my blood; PR is my means of making a living from it. The urge to tell stories always wins over the urge to make money.
So instead of sending "Dear John" replies and turning away exclusives and amazing stories, I'm going to publish them here. I've set up a Twitter feed to share them, TechFluff & Co News (@tfnewswire). So if you're a journalist covering #startups, you can follow the Twitter profile and pick up interesting stories. Occasionally, I'll publish stories featuring clients of TFCo. When I do, it will be clearly disclosed. Not all stories received will be published, only those judged to be interesting and factually/editorially sound. And if you want to speak to the startup in question directly, you can email/Tweet/ring me and I'll pass on contact details.
The flow of stories will vary and will be small to start with. I'm aiming to dig out one exclusive a month and share it with a stream of smaller, quality news hits behind it. Over time, if the project is successful, it'll get bigger and better with more quality stories emerging.
For me, this is just a way of publicising stories that need to be told. Call it vicarious fulfillment (disclosure: I'm an ex-hack and miss it insanely). Plus, I believe in karma (that's my answer to the commercial argument). I'd love feedback and advice on how we can do this better, from selecting the best stories to share with journalists to how we should handle exclusives (distribute to everyone-first come, first served-or share with a select few?). Tweet us @TechFluffCo (or my personal Twitter account: @LyraMcKee), follow us on Facebook, email me (Lyra at techfluff dot co) or leave a comment below. If you have a story or tip to share, send it to the same email address.